Jason Charlwood
Jason Charlwood
- Jason is a PhD student at the University of Adelaide
- Primary Emailjason.charlwood@adelaide.edu.au
- Secondary Emailjason.charlwood@csiro.au
Biography
Jason Charlwood is developing a novel workflow to improve the understanding and quantification of sorption processes for radio-isotopes and metals on natural rock and soil. At the Prescott Environmental Luminescence Laboratory (University of Adelaide), he uses the micron-scale spatially resolved alpha particle autoradiography technique and micro-mineral analysis to investigate the physical distribution of alpha-emitting radionuclides in relation to mineralogy. His research is important to better understand how radio-isotopes and metals migrate through the subsurface which informs ore-forming processes, element cycling and risks from underground disposal of wastes. Outputs from Jason’s research contribute to solving national geoscience challenges around groundwater sustainability and Australia’s mineral and energy resources future.
Mineral map showing distribution of quartz (grey) and microcline (orange) (left) and autoradiography map (right) visualising the distribution of tracks generated by alpha-emitting radio-isotopes (red circles indicate location of the radio-isotopes).
Autoradiography is the preferred method for point of origin analysis of alpha mission at the micron-scale to locate the distribution of alpha-emitting radio-isotopes such as naturally occurring uranium, thorium and radium in minerals. Previous work has demonstrated its ability to identify alpha emitting radio-isotopes during mineral processing. Sorption of alpha-emitters to granite and clay lithologies provides the micron resolution to further our understanding of subsurface sorption processes.